Detroit prosecutors have charged 31-year-old Daysiana Lachell Powell after a newborn was found dead in a dumpster on the city’s east side earlier this month. Police were called to the 11300 block of East 7 Mile Road last Wednesday, where officers discovered the infant wrapped in a sheet and placed in a blue tote inside a dumpster. Powell faces one count of concealing the death of an individual, accused of failing to report the newborn’s death to law enforcement. On Monday, her arraignment is the first public step in what prosecutors are calling a tragic investigation.
Prosecutor's statement
According to WXYZ, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says officers were called to a home in the 11300 block of East 7 Mile Road last Wednesday around 10:55 a.m. The office says the newborn was found wrapped in a sheet inside a blue tote placed in a dumpster. In a statement, Prosecutor Kym Worthy called the case "hard to put into words the abject sadness of this case" and said the alleged actions will haunt those involved, the office said. Powell is accused of concealing the death of her newborn and not reporting it to police.
What the charge means
Under Michigan law, intentionally concealing the fact or cause of a death is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison or a $5,000 fine, per Michigan statute MCL 333.2841(3), as published on FindLaw. The statute also permits sentences to run consecutively with other convictions that come out of the same incident. Prosecutors could seek additional charges depending on autopsy findings and other investigative evidence. For now, Powell faces just the single count listed in the initial complaint.
Next court dates
Powell was arraigned on Monday, with a probable cause conference scheduled for next Tuesday and a preliminary examination set for July 28, according to WXYZ. Those early hearings will decide whether the case moves up to circuit court for trial. If a judge finds probable cause at the preliminary exam, prosecutors may consider additional felony counts depending on what investigators and the medical examiner uncover. Powell remains presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in court.
Local context
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has handled similar infant-death prosecutions before. A 2021 case in Lincoln Park resulted in charges, according to the office's press release at the time. That earlier prosecution shows how investigators sometimes add murder or child-abuse counts when evidence points to lethal conduct. In cases like this, families and community groups often press for answers, while prosecutors coordinate closely with medical examiners and police during the investigative phase. Officials say they will keep reviewing evidence as Powell's case moves through the courts.
The investigation is ongoing. Hoodline will update this report with courtroom filings or official statements as they become available.
